Author's Posts

The internationally recognized Search Institute has figured out what helps kids and teens thrive. We’ll be sharing some of their insights with you on this blog. For instance, one thing parents can do is help their kids discover those “sparks” that get them excited about life. Search Institute research shows that kids who thrive have

Toddlers learn better if they, shall we say, interact vigorously with their food. That’s the conclusion of a study published recently in Developmental Science. In the study, 16-month-old children were taught new names for foods like jelly and syrup, then tested to see if they could connect those names with the foods, even when the

That old adage “men are from Mars and women are from Venus” may have gained some more scientific proof recently thanks to young Winona scientists. Cotter eighth-grader Cade Hansen, one of several participating in the school’s science fair Wednesday, wondered if males and females perceive things differently – in particular, optical illusions. In search of

The first thing I can remember buying for myself, aside from candy, of course, was not a toy. It was a book. It was a religious picture book about Job from the Bible, bought at Kmart. It was on one of the rare occasions when my mother had enough money to give my brothers and

Fewer young Minnesotans are taking part in risky behaviors than in years past, according to the latest Minnesota Student Survey. Last year, more than 160,000 students in grades 5, 8, 9 and 11 took part in the survey, which covered a wide range of topics from smoking, drinking and sexual behavior to how much students

Talk about your cost-benefit analysis: A newly published study co-authored by a University of Minnesota labor economist predicts that providing full-time, high-quality preschool to impoverished children under the age of 3 could entirely eliminate the achievement gap. There’s more: The study , published in the Journal of Human Resources, also found that the impact of

Never mind the long list of groups eyeing the state’s projected $1.1 budget surplus, advocates are betting they can make the case that full funding for early childhood education scholarships for needy families should top the list. Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, has already introduced legislation proposing to increase the amount of scholarship money available

In an early childhood family education class on a recent Friday morning, a group of toddlers appeared to run the show. One young boy sitting at a table near the door stared down a lumpy glob of deep-blue play dough. His mom crouched in a pint-sized plastic chair beside him, watching. Behind him, another student

Every year, thousands of immigrants enroll in Minnesota public schools, but the challenges aren’t equal for all of them. As a group, the hurdles are highest for those who enter the system in high school with little or no English language and writing skills. “It’s slow going when you start that stuff at 16, 18,”

Charley is a lifelong Red Wing resident and spent most of the last 15 years working for Jostens as the Director of Educator Services. His responsibilities focused on developing programming to improve school climate and culture including programs on leadership, social media responsibility and academic recognition. He also fostered relationships with partner businesses and organizations

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Every Hand Joined is a Sustaining Network Member of the StriveTogether network. This national organization works with communities nationwide to help create a civic infrastructure that unites stakeholders around a shared vision of the future and a common set of goals and measurements of success for every child, cradle to career.